Machine-protector.



1.' E. DoNAvAN.

vMACHINEPROTECTOR. AAPPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1916.

- 1,21 8,244.. Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

W/ nwe-svga JAMES E. DONAVAN, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN. l I

MACHINE-PROTECTOR.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Janus E. DONAVAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of "Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machine-Protectors, of which the following. is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to pro- Y vide a machine protector which will effectively prevent the dismembering of the machine byemployees, and the loss to the employer incurred thereby.

It is a well established fact that manufacturers having factories equipped 'with several expensive machines of one type with an operator assigned to each machine are subjected to much annoyance and expense in order to replace numerous parts of any of such machines which have been idle for a short time, said parts having been removed from the machines by the employees surreptitiously to replace similar parts on their own machines which may have become worn or damaged. This practice is particularly prevalent in shoe manufacturing establishments where stitching machines and other machines containing numerous expensive parts which are easily accessible and can be readily removed are used. Although the employer may be willing at all times to provide necessary parts, the fact that an injured or worn part may indicate negligence or lack of skill on the part of the operator, or the fact that the work is being done on the piece work basis and the time lost in applying at the office for a new part means loss to the opera-tor induces the men to rob the idle machines instead and then destroy the replaced parts to avoid detection. Thus, a few days sickness on the part of an operator, or the disuse of his machine for any reason, may cost the employer one hundred dollars or more to have an expert examine it and replace stolen parts before the machine can again be placed in commission.

It is the object of thepresent invention to protect idle machines of this character from such wanton dismantlement by means of a exible covering of chain mesh which may be thrown over an idle machine and locked in place by means of a chain looped therethrough and surrounding the pedestal of the machine, thus rendering the parts of the machine inaccessible,

Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

Application filed May 3, 1916. Serial No. 95,049.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the machine protector as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which vlike characters of reference indicate the same parts in the different views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine provided with the protective covering vof thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a fragment thereof; and

Fig, -3 is a detail view showing the manner of locking the protective covering in place.

In these drawings 10 indicates a metal fabric covering which is preferably of chain mesh construction as shown. The fabric may preferably be of a disk shape or of a bag shape in order that it may be readily thrown over the upper part of a machine,

such as the outsole lock stitch machine 11 shown in the drawing, there being rings 12 connected with the covering near its edge at regular intervals, and through these rings a strong chain 13 is passed with its ends connected by a padlock 14. The chain 13 gathers the covering '10 around the contracted portion of the machine beneath the head or operative portion thereof .so that the covering is locked in place and can not be removed without opening the padlock.

The protective covering of this invention may be readily thrown over a machine when the machine becomes idle and locked in place with the chain and padlock, thus rendering the parts inaccessible so that they can not be removed. The skirt or edge portion of the covering hangs below thechain a sufficient distance to be confined by the chain and prevents the removal of parts by reaching through the folds of the covering between the rings.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. lMeans for preventing the unauthorized removal of parts of machines, comprising a covering of flexible metal fabric adapted to be thrown over the machine, means for drawing the edges of the fabric together around a part; of the machine for reducing the diameter of the opening, and means for locking the edges of thecovering in such contracted condition to prevent the removal of the covering.

2. A protective covering to prevent the unauthorized tampering with machine parts,

comprising a flexible metal fabric bag of chain mesh material adapted to he thrown over the head of the machine, gathering means for contracting the mouth of the bag around the neck portion of the machine, and a lock for said contracting means preventing the removal of the covering.

3. A protective covering for preventing the unauthorized removal of machine parts, comprising a bag-shaped mantle of chain mesh construction adapted to be thrown over the head of a machine, rings secured to the mantle, a chain passing through the rings to contract the mantle around the pedestal of the machine, and a lock connecting the ends of the chain together.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for In testimony whereof, I affix my signa` ture, in presence' of two witnesses.

JAMES E. DONAVAN. Vitnesses GEO. W. MILLER, VVrLBUR H. DEAN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

